The Measure of a Diageo World Class Bartender Thailand 2026

Bartending competitions are often described in the language of victory: one champion, one trophy and one ticket to the global stage. Yet across two full days of competition, the final result can begin to feel almost secondary to the process itself. The more interesting story lies in how 38 bartenders respond when their knowledge, technique, creativity and ability to think under pressure are tested in entirely different ways.

That was the case at Diageo World Class Thailand 2026, held at Gaysorn Urban Resort in Bangkok. Now in its 16th year, the national competition had already drawn more than 280 entrants from across the country before 38 competitors arrived for the decisive two-day stage. The 2026 edition also marked the first time expatriate bartenders working in Thailand were eligible to enter, broadening the field to reflect the increasingly international character of the country’s bar scene. By the end, only one would earn the title of Diageo World Class Bartender Thailand 2026 and the opportunity to represent the country at the World Class Global Finals in Edinburgh, Scotland, this October. Before reaching that conclusion, however, there were several very different challenges to survive.

The first day opened with The Singleton x Evian: The Modern Classic, a challenge that required the competitors to demonstrate an understanding of whisky and water beyond the obvious relationship between the two. Mineral water had to become an ingredient rather than an afterthought, placing the focus on balance and on how water could alter the structure and expression of a whisky cocktail.

Judging the challenge were Kaneko Michito, the Diageo World Class Global Champion 2015, and Gov—Kitibodee Chortubtim, the Diageo World Class Thailand Champion 2019. This was not simply a matter of adding water to whisky and calling it a concept. Competitors had to understand the foundations of what they were working with and find a contemporary way to express them.

The second challenge changed both spirit and atmosphere. Don Julio: The Sensory Session brought together tequila and music, asking the bartenders to think beyond flavour alone and consider how a drink could interact with another sensory experience. The judging panel reflected that broader approach, bringing together celebrated bartender Chanel Adams, bar owner and DJ Ekkamai Tiger, and Khem—Tanat Suttirak, the Diageo World Class Bartender Thailand Champion 2024.

Where the first challenge demanded an understanding of ingredients and foundations, the second asked competitors to build an experience in which sound, mood and drink could belong to the same idea. By the end of the first day, individual challenge performances had been combined, reducing the original field of 38 to 10.

Day two began with Johnnie Walker Blue Label: An Untold Story, which shifted the focus from sensory concepts to something considerably more personal. The remaining bartenders were asked to tell their own stories through a cocktail, using Johnnie Walker Blue Label as the medium. Judging the challenge were Lele—Emanuele Mensah, the Diageo World Class Great Britain Champion 2025; Tor—Vipop Jinaphan, the Diageo World Class Thailand Champion 2011; and Chanond Purananda, a pioneer of Thailand's modern bar scene.

Storytelling has become one of the most frequently used terms in contemporary bartending, to the point that almost any garnish or ingredient can come with a lengthy explanation attached. An Untold Story demanded more than decoration. The challenge was to turn something personal into a drink that could still communicate clearly to the judges.

Before the field was cut again, the tension briefly gave way to a smaller and more playful competition. A selection of bartenders presented their drinks to the guests, who were invited to taste and vote for their three favourite cocktails. It was a reminder that while judges examine every detail, bartending must eventually connect with the person drinking the cocktail.

From ten competitors, five remained for the final Speed Challenge, which stripped away the comfort of long explanations and carefully paced presentations. The finalists had six minutes to make five cocktails: four classics and one twist. Technical ability mattered, as did knowledge of the classics, but this year's format placed particular emphasis on originality. The bartenders were expected not only to execute drinks correctly but also to demonstrate creativity and the ability to develop a distinctive concept under severe time pressure.

The final panel brought together several generations of World Class experience: Ong—Thanachot Lohanimitr, the Diageo World Class Thailand Champion 2025; Jane Kaewyod, the Diageo World Class Thailand Champion 2018; Neung—Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn, the Diageo World Class Thailand Champion 2017 and 2014; Boyd—Chanchai Rodkerd, the Diageo World Class Thailand Champion 2013; and Lele—Emanuele Mensah, the Diageo World Class Great Britain Champion 2025.

Six minutes for five drinks is unforgiving. There is nowhere to hide a weak understanding of a classic, an inefficient movement or a poorly considered idea. Yet the final also revealed why speed alone is no longer enough to define a complete competition bartender. The challenge was not merely to move quickly, but to make decisions quickly without losing precision or personality.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

When the scores were counted, Bogdan Bochkarev from The Fool Speakeasy finished as second runner-up and won the Johnnie Walker Blue Label An Untold Story Challenge. Tamaryn Cooper from Dry Wave Cocktail Studio was named first runner-up and Rising Star Winner, while also winning the Johnnie Walker Black Collection The Vibes of Black Challenge, making her one of the most decorated competitors of the year.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The wider results reflected the range of skills demanded throughout the competition. Guntarit Ruamthongrat from Bar Scofflaws won the Johnnie Walker Black Collection Timeless Classic Challenge. Patiphan Klaynatr from Find The Locker Room won both The Singleton x Evian: The Modern Classic Challenge and THE MASTER OF ICE & BALANCE Best Ice Utilisation Award. In contrast, Natdanai Chitlaem from Thubb Bar won Don Julio: The Sensory Session. Warangkana Dejsupa from Find The Photo Booth received the People's Choice Award, completing a group of winners recognised for everything from storytelling and classic technique to sensory concepts, ice utilisation and the ability to win over the drinking public.

The final title went to Amber—Atchana Intarangsi from Bar Not Found in Chiang Mai. Her victory earned her the title of Diageo World Class Bartender Thailand 2026, making her the second woman and the second bartender from Chiang Mai to claim the national title. She will now represent Thailand at the World Class Global Finals in Edinburgh this October, carrying with her not only the result of two days in Bangkok but the experience of emerging from a national field of more than 280 bartenders.

It is tempting to view a competition like World Class only through its winner. Yet the entire process tells a more complicated and considerably more interesting story. Across two days, the bartenders were asked to understand whisky and water, connect tequila with music, turn personal experiences into cocktails, master the classics and create something original while racing against the clock.

Those are very different demands, and that is precisely the point. Contemporary bartending no longer rewards one skill alone. Technique without imagination can feel sterile; storytelling without a well-made drink quickly falls apart; creativity without knowledge of the classics has little foundation. The strongest bartenders are expected to move between all of them.

For Amber—Atchana Intarangsi, the next test will take place in Scotland. Yet the two days in Bangkok offered something equally valuable: a close look at the bartenders shaping the next chapter of Thailand's bar scene.

Credits Article: Wariya Intreyonk Photos: courtesy